Tuesday, 8 April 2014

BJP promises defence reform, but does not say how

By Ajai
Shukla

Business Standard, 8th Apr 14

The BJP’s unusually
detailed defence manifesto, which forms part of the “BJP Election Manifesto
2014” that was released in New Delhi on Monday, appears to be a mix of polemic,
populism, plagiarism and pragmatic planning.

Significantly
for a party that is often accused of pursuing a divisive, majoritarian agenda,
the BJP has defined security in comprehensive terms --- specifically mentioning
“social cohesion and harmony” as a component of national security along with
“military security; economic security; cyber security; energy, food and water
and health security.”

Predictably
attacking the UPA’s custodianship of security, the BJP holds it responsible for
border intrusions by China, the shortage of combat aircraft in the air force, multiple
accidents involving naval vessels, Maoist attacks, a growing presence of “Pakistan
backed terror groups” and illegal immigration from Bangladesh. While these issues
are mostly real, many go back decades and were grappled with by the NDA
government from 1998-2004.

Like the
BJP’s 1998 manifesto, which made substantive promises, e.g. to test nuclear weapons,
the current manifesto makes important commitments on crucial issues. It pledges
to “Study in detail India's nuclear doctrine, and revise and update it, to make
it relevant to challenges of current times.” This has set off speculation that
a BJP government would reconsider, if not abandon, the “No First Use” policy that
New Delhi has so far held. The manifesto also pledges to “Maintain a credible
minimum deterrent that is in tune with changing geostatic realities.” It is
unclear whether this means a larger nuclear arsenal, or the creation of an
arsenal of tactical nuclear weapons (TNWs) to counter Pakistan’s much-hyped TNW
weapons.

Promising
to restructure higher defence management --- a measure that the NDA shied away
from whilst in power --- the BJP has promised to “ensure greater participation
of Armed Forces in the decision-making process of the Ministry of Defence.”
This would involve integrating the MoD with the service headquarters, and
creating structures where uniformed soldiers worked alongside bureaucrats, even
as their bosses. After a Group of Ministers proposed this measure in 2001, the
BJP encountered strong opposition from bureaucrats, eventually leading to the
creation of a halfway house --- the Integrated Defence Staff (IDS), where the
three services work together but the MoD remains aloof. Like the BJP, the UPA
has gone along with this tokenism for the last decade.

The BJP
manifesto promises to make up officer shortages within the three services,
which currently function with just 75 per cent of their authorised officers. In
February, Defence Minister AK Antony told the Lok Sabha that the services were
short of 12,372 officers.

A serving
general who deals with manpower says this would involve serious difficulties.
These include motivating large numbers of high calibre youths to join the
military, and expanding training facilities to handle more trainees. The
manifesto is silent on how this would be handled.

The BJP
says it will “Modernize armed forces, and increase the R&D in defence, with
a goal of developing indigenous defence technologies and fast tracking of
defence purchases.” There is no elaboration of how this would be done, how much
additional funding would be allotted to R&D, or what the BJP would do
differently from its earlier tenure, when defence minister George Fernandes lamented
that equipment modernisation had been stalled by “the three Cs” --- the CBI,
CVC and CAG.

The BJP manifesto
carefully woos servicemen and their families. It promises to build a national
war memorial, an emotive and longstanding demand from ex-servicemen lobbies
that point to the incongruity of honouring Indian martyrs at India Gate in New
Delhi --- a monument built by colonial power to commemorate Indians who died
for the British Empire. The BJP’s promise to fulfil this demand does not
mention where it would be built.

The growing
political clout of ex-servicemen is also evident in the BJP promise to appoint
a “Veterans Commission” for addressing problems of retired soldiers, sailors
and airmen. This borrows from the Congress Party’s manifesto promise of a
“National Commission for Ex-Servicemen.” The Congress claims credit for setting
up the “Department of Ex-Servicemen’s Welfare” in the MoD. However, veterans
complain about the insensitivity of this department, which has done much to
push many ex-servicemen into the BJP fold.

The BJP
manifesto attempts to benefit from measures already announced by the UPA. It
promises to implement “one rank, one pension”, a measure already announced in
the UPA’s last budget. It also promises to digitise all defence land records,
something that Antony has told parliament is complete.

Significantly,
the BJP’s new manifesto is silent on defence spending, even though the UPA has
brought down spending to a 52-year low of 1.74 per cent of GDP.

In 1998,
the BJP manifesto had noted “the country's defence budget has been declining in
real terms… from 3.4 per cent of the GDP in 1989-90 to a mere 2.2 per cent this
year (i.e. 1998-99). After six years in power, the BJP managed to raise defence
spending to just 2.4 per cent of GDP in 2004-05.

Promising
to boost defence production, the BJP says it will “encourage private sector participation
and investment, including FDI in selected defence industries.” This seems no
different from the current regime, where 26 per cent FDI is permitted, with
higher foreign holding permissible on a case-by-case basis.

The BJP
says “Technology transfer in defence
manufacturing will be encouraged to the maximum.” (emphasis in original).

1. NDA has the best track record of supporting aggressive actions and steps in the event of difficult times with neighbours...this isn't possible without defence forces being adequately equipped...so no doubts they will do better than what UPA did,2. The so called third front with communist party and Samajwadi party...are a complete sold out to chinese and muslim tactics...both not only will not allow any development...but will create more hindrance,3. The number of defence personnel including the very imp ex army chief switching sides from Anna Hazare to BJP...speaks the amount of importance armed forces will receive,4. While people can set personal expectations...like Ajai has done in his blog...if there is any better alternative than BJP to deliver to armed forces...I will be astonished to hear of it except BJP or NDA...even allies of NDA unlike the UPA allies aren't muslim vote seekers...for eg both SAD and Shiv Sena are fully towards a strong India against key enemies like Pak nd China,5. AAP is missing...because they ain't in the race to win the election...only their to help Congress achieve a back door entry...and there famous statement on Kashmir...they will be the last to do any sort of defence developments...god forbid in the hands of UPA plus AAP govt...Kashmir all set but to leave India!

BJP might not have published a very detailed defence planning...and where ever published like infusing new officers...Ajai sort to criticise it...so it is prudent to wait and analyse more aspects related to defence...prioritise them and then execute it!

When people like Azam Khan of the Samajwadi Party, drag army for political gains and if people still tolerate this and take no action, it is utter shame on our part. Though lot of intense thoughts come to my mind that I would want to do to this man if he was in proximity but none of those would be constitutionally correct, so I control my thoughts and emotions and request all who respect the army and its values to unite against any such divisive figures wherever possible

One thing could be that more money will be spend on retired ex-servicemen. Hence less money for the services!!!

BJP is utterly hated by the kashmiris. I can assure you that more kashmiri's will be raising pak flags at cricket events. Kashmir will never be part of india willingly. The new gen hates india even more than the old. BJP election will hand pak an ace.